Army confirms life sentence for 6 soldiers involved in Machil killing

In pic: Soldiers patrolling near Indo-Myanmar border as part of enhanced security ahead of Independence Day celebration.

NEW DELHI: The Army has confirmed life sentences given to six of its soldiers, including two officers, for a fake encounter in Machil in 2010 in which three villagers were killed in cold blood by a Rajput unit posted on the border.

Northern Army Commander Lt Gen DS Hooda confirmed the life sentence, after advocating harsher punishment for the criminal action by ensuring that a Territorial Army jawan who was let off too was given a life sentence. The confirmation of sentence, which follows a court martial that was set up by the Army to probe the 2010 killings, received strong support from within the force.

Several officers and soldiers that ET spoke with had little sympathy for the soldiers found guilty. The common view was that the killings were staged for personal glory and promotion.

In a short statement issued by the Northern Command, the Army named the six were found guilty. "Colonel Dinesh Pathania, Captain Upendra, Havildar Devendra Kumar, Lance Naik Lakhmi, Lance Naik Arun Kumar and Rifleman Abbas Hussain have been awarded life imprisonment," it read.

The Machil case — which was solved by the J&K police — had led to a mass civilian protest throughout the Kashmir Valley, including dozens of incidents of stone pelting and rioting.